Sedum plant named ‘Bronco’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Sedum  plant named ‘Bronco’, characterized by its upright and compact plant habit; freely basal branching growth habit; relatively short peduncles; and yellow green-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Sedum telephium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Bronco’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Sedum plant, botanically known as Sedum telephium, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bronco’.

The new Sedum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rijpwetering, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new compact Sedum cultivars with uniform growth habit and attractive flower coloration.

The new Sedum originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2001 of the Sedum telephium cultivar Green Explanation, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Sedum telephium cultivar Joy, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Sedum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Rijpwetering, The Netherlands in 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken at Rijpwetering, The Netherlands, since 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Sedum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Bronco have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bronco’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bronco’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright and compact plant habit.     -   2. Freely basal branching growth habit.     -   3. Relatively short peduncles.     -   4. Yellow green-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Sedum can be compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Green Explanation. Plants of the new Sedum differ from plants of the cultivar Green Explanation in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Sedum are more compact than plants of the         cultivar Green Explanation.     -   2. Plants of the new Sedum and the cultivar Green Explanation         differ in flower color.

Plants of the new Sedum can be compared to plants of the male parent, the cultivar Joy. Plants of the new Sedum differ from plants of the cultivar Joy primarily in plant height as plants of the new Sedum are more compact than plants of the cultivar Joy.

Plants of the new Sedum can also be compared to plants of the Sedum telephinum cultivar Lajos, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,421. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rijpwetering, The Netherlands, plants of the new Sedum differed from plants of the cultivar Lajos in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Sedum were more compact than plants of the         cultivar Lajos.     -   2. Plants of the new Sedum and the cultivar Lajos differed in         leaf coloration as plants of the Lajos had variegated leaves.     -   3. Plants of the new Sedum and the cultivar Lajos differed in         flower coloration as plants of the cultivar Lajos had         purple-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which more accurately describe the actual colors of the new Sedum.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bronco’ grown in a container.

The photograph in the center of the sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Bronco’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of the upper surface of a typical leaf of ‘Bronco’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following description were grown under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions during the late summer in an outdoor nursery in Rijpwetering, The Netherlands for about one year. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 14 to 32° C. and night temperatures ranged from 7 to 18° C.

-   Botanical classification: Sedum telephium cultivar Bronco. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Sedum telephium cultivar Green Explanation,             not patented.         -   Male parent.—Sedum telephium cultivar Joy, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About three months at             18° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fleshy; light brown in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form/growth habit.—Upright and compact plant form; inverted             triangle. Freely basal branching, about four basal branches             per plant; moderately vigorous growth habit. Numerous single             flowers arranged in terminal and axillary cymes.         -   Plant height.—About 19.5 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 21.2 cm.         -   Branch description.—Length: About 12.8 cm. Diameter: About             4.5 mm. Internode length: About 7.1 cm. Strength: Moderately             strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Smooth, glabrous;             succulent. Color: 148D.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple; sessile.             Length: About 7.9 cm. Width: About 5.2 cm. Shape: Broadly             ovate. Apex: Bluntly acute. Base: Cordate to cuneate;             clasping. Margin: Irregularly serrate. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; succulent. Venation             pattern: Pinnate; arcuate. Color: Developing foliage, upper             surface: 137B. Developing foliage, lower surface: 191A.             Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A; towards the             base, 137B; spot at base, close to 53A; venation, 148B.             Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 191A; venation, 144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Small single star-shaped             flowers arranged in terminal and axillary compound cymes;             cymes roughly hemispherical. Flowers face mostly upright.             Freely flowering, about 125 flowers and flower buds per             lateral branch.         -   Natural flowering season.—Flowering continuous from August             through September in The Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—Individual last about two             weeks on the plant. Flowers persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Faint.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Shape: Ovoid. Color: 145C; towards the apex, 186C; towards             the base, 144B.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 11.4 cm.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 6.7 cm.         -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 1 cm. Depth (height): About 6 mm.         -   Petals.—Arrangement: Five, fused at base. Length: About             4 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: When opening, upper surface: 29B to 29C. When             opening, lower surface: 29A to 29B. Fully opened, upper             surface: 29B to 29C. Fully opened, lower surface: 29A to             29C.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Five sepals fused at the base;             campanulate. Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.             Sepal shape: Narrowly ovate. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal             texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Sepal             color, upper and lower surfaces: 144B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 6.7 cm. Diameter: about 2 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Aspect: Erect to about 35° from vertical. Color: 197A to             197C.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Aspect: Erect to about 30° from the stem axis. Color: 144B             or 191A to 191B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per             flower/arrangement: About ten; five stamens at base of             petals; other five, free. Anther shape: Broadly oblong;             flattened. Anther length: About 0.8 mm. Anther color: 11B to             42B to 42C. Filament length: About 3.5 mm. Filament color:             Lighter than 145D. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 8A.             Pistils: Quantity/arrangement: Five per flower; prominent;             fused at the base; star-shaped. Pistil length: About 3 mm.             Stigma shape: Rounded; minute. Stigma color: 147D. Style             length: About 2.5 mm. Style color: 144B. Ovary color: 144B.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Sedum have not been noted     to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Sedum. -   Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Sedum have exhibited good     tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate     temperatures from −10 to 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Sedum plant named ‘Bronco’, as illustrated and described. 